Stainton Lighting Design Services Limited have been given a £14 million contract to design a street lighting project for Stockton Borough Council.

In March, Stockton Council decided to invest of £14 million in a three year project replacing their current streetlights with LEDs. The project is expected to save Stockton Borough Council £1.8 million a year. These savings wer calculated on the basis that LEDs require less maintenance and lower energy bills.

It is estimated that the council currently spends £1.5 million a year running street lights and is 65% of the councils energy bills.

The new street lights have been installed in Norton where residents have had mixed reviews on them. Some have complained that the LED lights did not light up the whole street while others said that the new lights were more efficient and didn't shine light in to people's homes.

The council's cabinet member for regeneration and transport, Councillor Mike Smith, said: "I'm delighted that this project is not only going to deliver year-on-year savings for the council but is also making use of the top-class expertise offered by a local Thornaby based company [Stainton Lighting Design Services Limited]. We know how important it is to get the design right as better lighting makes people feel safer, so we are looking forward to working with Stainton Lighting Design Services to make sure the lights are positioned where they will most benefit our communities."